_Hair Form_
Straight Low Wave Deep Wave Curl Frizz Wool Total
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Total sample 0 0 7 0.1 13 0.2 91 11.0 702 862 0 0 813
Interior 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 3 149 97 0 0 153
East 0 0 1 1 10 8 37 31 72 60 0 0 120
Coast 0 0 0 1 3 0 18 9 188 90 0 0 209
N.W. 0 0 2 3 0 0 7 9 70 89 0 0 79
Fiji II 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 16 38 33 59 51 116
Solomons 2 3.3 1 1.6 0 0 16 26 17 28 25 41 61
Frizzly hair is the condition of over 85 per cent of Fijians; 11 per
cent are curly-haired, whereas over twenty individuals have wavy hair.
Straight hair is absent. The Fiji II series of Howell distinguishes
between frizzly and wooly hair, which I do not. Their combined incidence
is 83 per cent, quite close to my frequency of frizzly. Whether one does
or does not distinguish between frizzly and wooly hair, there is no
doubt that most Fijians have Negroid hair form. The Solomon Islanders
are surprising with somewhat less Negroid hair form than the Fijians.
Their combined percentage of frizzly and wooly is 69, which is nearly 20
per cent less than that of the Fijians. Twenty per cent have curly hair
against 11 per cent among Fijians. Also, the only instances of straight
hair occur in the Solomons.
In the Fijian breakdown, the interior groups have the most Negroid hair;
97 per cent have frizzly hair and 3 per cent have curly hair. The
eastern people are the least Negroid in this respect; frizzly hair drops
to 60 per cent, whereas curly hair advances to 30 per cent and wavy hair
to 9 per cent. The coastal and northwestern series are closer to the
interior groups with about 90 per cent frizzly hair.
_Hair Texture_
Course Medium Fine Total
No. % No. % No. %
Total sample 804 99 9 1 0 0 813
Interior 153 100 0 0 0 0 153
East 116 97 4 3 0 0 120
Coast 208 100 1 0 0 0 209
N.W. 78 99 1 1 0 0 79
Hair texture is prevailingly coarse; only 1 per cent of the total series
shows medium coarseness and none have fine hair. This preponderance of
coarse hair is much the same in all the provinces, although the eastern
people do depart slightly with a 3 per cent incidence of medium-coarse
hair.
It might be added that Fijian hair is quite stiff or wiry. For example,
when the hair is unshorn, it stands out like a mop. A Fijian can insert
a long stemmed flower in his hair and it will stay in place with no
additional fastening.
_Head Hair Quantity_
Absent Subm. +[16] ++ +++ Total
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Total sample 0 0 61 7 219 27 533 65 0 0 813
Interior 0 0 26 17 27 18 100 65 0 0 153
East 0 0 5 4 24 20 91 76 0 0 120
Coast 0 0 11 5 63 30 135 65 0 0 209
N.W. 0 0 7 9 21 27 51 65 0 0 79
Fiji II 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 132 92 133
Solomons 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 6 80 94 85
Head hair quantity is pronounced in the majority of Fijians (65 per
cent); it is moderate in 27 per cent and submedium in 7 per cent.
Howells describes nearly all the Fijians as having very pronounced head
hair--99 per cent, which would appear to be a personal difference in
appraisal. In any case, the two series agree that Fijians have hair of
more than moderate quantity. The Melanesians of the Solomons are also
characterized by much head hair.
Regionally, the only significant variation in this trait is shown in the
east, where more individuals have a submedium designation. In the
absence of age data, this contrast cannot be fairly interpreted.
_Hair Length_
It might be observed here that although hair length was not included in
this survey, on the basis of personal but unrecorded observation, the
Fijians conform to the Melanesian pattern. Most Fijian men now cut their
hair short in the Western style, but some still do not. Women generally
trim their hair but not short. The natural length of head hair is
intermediate between the short-haired African Negroes and the
long-haired Caucasians and Mongolians.
_Baldness_
Subm. + ++ +++ Total
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Total sample 731 90 40 3 30 4 12 1 0 0 813
Interior 122 80 12 8 12 8 7 5 0 0 153
East 112 93 3 3 4 3 1 1 0 0 120
Coast 194 93 10 5 4 2 1 0 0 0 209
N.W. 72 91 1 1 3 4 3 4 0 0 79
The lack of age correlations also limits the value of data on baldness,
but some meaning can nevertheless be extracted. Regardless of age, with
an incidence of pronounced baldness of 1 per cent among all adult males
and of 4 per cent for a moderate condition, it is a clear indication
that Fijians are not prone to loss of head hair.
_Beard Quantity_
Absent Subm. + ++ +++ Total
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Total sample 0 0 234 29 370 44 208 26 1 .01 813
Interior 0 0 22 14 67 44 64 42 0 0 153
East 0 0 45 38 59 49 16 13 0 0 120
Coast 0 0 60 29 94 45 54 26 1 0 209
N.W. 0 0 22 28 30 38 27 34 0 0 79
Fiji II
cheeks 27 21 2 2 44 34 46 35 12 9 131
skin 9 7 0 0 52 40 56 43 14 10 131
Solomons
cheeks 21 25 0 0 42 49 22 26 0 0 85
chin 7 8 0 0 53 62 25 29 0 0 85
Tonga
chin 0 0 0 19 0 31 50 0 0 0 0
lower chk. 0 4 0 37 0 18 40 0 0 0 0
Moderate beard quantity is shown by 44 per cent of Fijians; the
remainder are fairly evenly divided between the submedium and pronounced
categories. Howells' series, which records beard quantity for the cheeks
and chin separately, shows a higher frequency of pronounced and very
pronounced designations. However, his data includes many individuals who
have no beards at all. Both series are doubtless influenced by the fact
that they contain a preponderance of young adult; a greater proportion
of older men would have greatly raised the incidence of the pronounced
categories.
Nearly all modern Fijians have adopted the Western practice of shaving.
Examination of earlier pictures and written description of Fijians
leaves no doubt that the majority of mature men possess luxurious beards
when nature is unrestrained.
The natives of the Solomon Islands, according to Howells, are a little
less bearded than the Fijians.
The Tongans are a little more heavily bearded than the Fijians.
Some geographical variation is indicated by my data. The interior people
of Fiji have the highest incidence of face hair; 42 per cent are
recorded as pronounced. Least endowed are the eastern Fijians, where 13
per cent have pronounced beards and 38 per cent are submedium. The
coastal and northwestern series conform more closely to the overall
distribution.
_Body Hair_[17]
Absent Subm. + ++ +++ Total
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Total sample 0 0 243 30 328 40 162 20 80 10 813
Interior 0 0 31 20 56 37 41 27 25 16 153
East 0 0 55 46 45 38 14 12 6 5 120
Coast 0 0 57 27 82 39 46 22 24 11 209
N.W. 0 0 16 20 36 46 19 24 8 8 79
Tonga 0 0 23 29 0 26 0 22 0 0 0
The body hair endowment is also not unimpressive. Forty per cent show a
moderate condition, 20 per cent are pronounced, and 10 per cent very
pronounced; none are totally devoid of body hair; 30 per cent are
submedium. Chest hair among the Tongans is somewhat less in evidence;
although the majority range from submedium to pronounced, 23 per cent
are described as hairless.
The provincial distribution in Fiji follows that of face hair: the
interior groups are hairiest and the eastern people least so.
The anatomical distribution of body hair deserves some comment, even
though specific observations were made on the chest. Not infrequently
the hair is heavier on the upper legs than on the chest. Occasionally,
too, the back of the shoulders is quite hairy as well as the belly.
_Grayness: Head_
Absent Subm. + ++ +++ Total
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Total sample 621 76 82 10 82 10 28 3 3 3 813
Interior 80 52 37 24 19 12 17 11 0 0 153
East 91 76 13 11 16 13 0 0 0 0 120
Coast 176 84 14 7 17 8 2 1 0 0 209
N.W. 60 76 8 10 9 11 2 3 0 0 79
_Grayness: Beard_
Absent Subm. + ++ +++ Total
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Total sample 610 75 61 8 90 11 52 6 0 0 813
Interior 72 47 30 20 20 13 31 20 0 0 153
East 89 74 9 8 18 15 4 3 0 0 120
Coast 178 85 8 4 21 10 2 1 0 0 209
N.W. 60 76 6 8 11 14 2 3 0 0 79
Grayness of the hair data without corresponding age incidence is not
particularly significant. It is clear, nevertheless, that premature
grayness is not common. I would hazard the judgment that on the whole
the Fijians show less tendency to grayness than do Caucasians.
The higher incidence of grayness of the interior sample of Fijians is
likely due to a larger number of older men in that series.